The History of Stone Soup Cafe

It happened a long, long time ago, but people still speak of it today.A young woman walking over many miles of countryside finally reached a crossroad.She wore a long yellow braid and had traveled spring, summer and fall playing songs so sweet, even the cows stopped grazing, birds halted in flight and the wind blew in harmony.She looked at the crossroad markings to choose her direction. She of the long yellow braid said, "I will go south. The sun shines bright and the people are friendly." And so she turned right and heading south she traveled on and on becoming hungrier. Reaching into her backsack, the young woman found nothing but scraps of paper with her musical markings, a pencil stub and some flint. The yellow braided woman then looked into her kettle that she carried. Her hand searched to the very bottom and found only a shiny smooth stone.And so having hope and not much else, she set off again and made her way to the center square, of a very small, almost forgotten village.She went to the well in the center of the square and the young woman set down the kettle. She dipped water from the village well and poured it into her kettle. Then taking the scraps of paper and her flint, she started to make a small fire."Well," she said, "at least I will have hot water." Flashing a smile she said, "I will add my stone." Then, laughingly, said "and then I will have stone soup!"Unobserved by the young woman, the village gossip had hidden himself behind the well. Hearing that she was making soup from a stone, he quickly headed to the nearest cottage and whispered the news to the housewife.Tucking up her apron, she walked as casually as she could and asked, "what are you cooking? What is it you have in the pot?"The young woman replied, "stone soup, good woman, stone soup." "Soup from a stone!" she marveled.A sigh escaped the yellow braided woman, "Oh, if I only had a carrot, it would be so much better and I could share it with you. "A carrot? Of course!" said the housewife and trotted off to get her carrot.As the news spread of 'soup from a stone' the villagers gathered. "A turnip? Oh yes! An onion? Indeed, of course-of course!" and finally a chicken was offered and taken.The kettle was now full and the villagers watched and waited. The aroma was tantalizing and anticipation grew. And then it was ready! True to her word, the young woman shared the bountiful soup with the villagers. "Delicious!" said one. "Wonderful!" said another. "Imagine soup from a stone!""Yes", said the young woman, "Stone Soup." She cleaned the kettle and waved good-bye to her new found friends. "Come again-do come again," she heard over and over as she took to the road. After months of wandering, making stone soup in village after village, in hamlet after hamlet, she stopped and opened...